NATUREPLAST AND BIOPLASTICS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
On the 26th of August, TF1 (French TV channel) has sent one of its team to NaturePlast in Normandy to shoot a report on the use of waste and byproducts from scallop to be printed on 3D.
With the collaboration of Francofil, a productor of technical filaments for the 3D printing sector, and MK3D, all the scallop transformation steps, from the whole shell to the end product as well as its incorporation in a plastic matrix have been highlighted.
The use of byproducts and wastes from different activities is a way to promote a circular economy by bringing them new life but also to add a special aesthetic to the end products with new effects and textures.
This report is therefore an opportunity to highlight once again the possibilities of using different byproducts for NaturePlast and its partners.
NEW BIOBASED PP RANGE
Last June, the bioplastic sector has seen a newcomer on the market, a biobased polypropylene. Produced from renewable hydrocarbons, which are derived from sustainable bio-based raw materials, such as waste and residue oils, this material is around 30% biobased.
It has the same properties as the Polypropylenes entirely obtained from fossil resources, from the processing conditions to the use properties.
Several thousand tons have already been successfully produced and this new range offers currently three copolymer PP grades for the injection process (grade 15, 48 and 70).
NaturePlast
NATUREPLAST: COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
For several years, NaturePlast has been involved with different French and European Research and Development and Innovation collaborative projects. They deal with the production or optimization of bioplastics materials.
These projects which take an important place in our company, provide the opportunity to refine our knowledge but also to develop our network whether it is at a national or European level. They especially allow to accelerate the research and development process and to put on the market new innovative solutions.
Mypack
The Mypack project supported by HORIZON 2020 (call SFS-2016-2017) has for objective to help sustainable food packaging technologies to reach or to extend their market.
The different partners have met in Matera, Italy, last July to exchange on the work progress and to establish guidelines for the next few months.
In this project, NaturePlast develops biobased and compostable compounds based on PLA to produce flexible packaging as well as heat resistant materials.
These solutions are currently tested by the other project partners with encouraging results for the next steps.
Wow!
The Interreg North-West Europe project WOW! – Wider business Opportunities for raw materials from Waste water, aims to set up production pilots of biobased products (including PHAs) from waste water.
Partners gathered in Luxembourg at the beginning of September to present the evolution of the work done on the different pilots and to act on the next actions.
The first developments based on PHAs from waste water should therefore begin at the end of the year.
Furthermore, the Wow! Consortium will be at the next Aquarama Trade Fair in Louvain (Belgium) on the 24th of October to promote the project work.
Biocomplack
The Biocomplack project has the objective to produce a new biobased, biodegradable and compostable food packaging by using a cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) multilayer structure to enhance the barrier properties. After 3 years of research and development, the project finished in June 2019.
During the project, NaturePlast was able to formulate a material based on PLA to produce a flexible film. A CNC coating was also developed and realized by other partners so as to improve the packaging barrier properties.
Urbiofin
Urbiofin experiments the development of an innovative biorefinery for the municipal solid waste transformation into new biobased products.
The meeting which was held in Valencia (Spain) in June was an opportunity to provide an update on the progress of the project as well as to define the action plan for the coming months.
NaturePlast is in charge of defining formulations based on PHAs produced by the Urbiofin biorefinery for the cosmetic market as well as the agricultural film and disposable bag market.
The trials have begun on September and will continue in 2020.
About us: NaturePlast is a french company based in Normandy (IFS-14), specialized in bioplastics. With more than 10 years of experience in this field, the company has the most extensive portfolio of raw materials and biobased and/or biodegradable compounds in Europe. With its daughter company BiopolyNov, they provide support to industrialists from the origin to the industrialisation of their innovative project. Thanks to their R&D expertise acquired during the years, NaturePlast and BiopolyNov are renowned major player in the development and production of formulations for clients and collaborative projects.